Environment Minister John Baird is in Washington today holding discussions with U.S. officials about environmental policy in an attempt to help build "a global effort beyond Kyoto."
"We had some good meetings with administrative officials at the United States Senate yesterday," Baird told Canada AM on Friday. "We're going to continue that today. We really would like to see a global effort beyond Kyoto on reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
Last month, the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois banded together and completely revised the Tories' Clean Air Act.
The revised version requires hard emissions-cutting targets for industry, a $20-levy for every ton of emissions over targets, joining an international carbon-trading system and entering Kyoto -- all major changes that will be tough for the Tories to accept.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper could use the revised act as motivation to trigger an election, or the government could let the bill die on the Commons order paper.
Baird said the possibility of a spring election was "not likely."
He said the government is working to make Canada a real environmental leader within the next five years.
On that front, Baird said his trip south was to find out exactly what is on the U.S. agenda with regards to global warming.
"What I was here to do is to get a sense of where the administration and where congress is going on this issue," said Baird.
"Clearly, global warming is a significant issue south of the border as it is in Canada and I was able to learn a great deal about some of the initiatives that are going on here."
Yesterday, Baird announced that Canada was joining the coalition against wildlife trafficking.
